We’ve covered a few different interviewing topics here recently, such as styles, the most effective questions, and ways not to conduct an interview. Today, I’d like to cover something that’s stirred up a lot of debate regarding the process of interviewing: asking bizarre, off-the-wall questions. Some HR folks absolutely hate them, saying they are a colossal waste of valuable time spent with candidates.

Others, such as technology giants Google and Microsoft, make them an integral part of every interview.

Does asking a candidate how many golf balls can fit in a school bus really offer any benefits or enhance the interview experience? It certainly depends whom you ask. For the most part, throwing these curve balls can reveal at least a few things about candidates:

• Certain aspects about their personalities that may not have been revealed during the interview
• How they handle unusual circumstances and surprises
• A glimpse into their analytical skills
• How well they think on their feet
• Their level of creativity
• Whether or not they have a sense of humor

However, quirky questions do not tell you much about the candidate’s past experience or their qualifications for a position, which are by far the most important criteria for hiring an individual. Therefore, the bulk of the interview should focus on behavioral questions to determine if what the candidate offers and has accomplished matches up with the needs of your company.

Quirky questions are interesting to ponder and can liven up the interview experience. And of course, it is up to you to determine the appropriateness of asking them. But before requesting a candidate to explain which Gilligan’s Island character they are most like, I would offer a few words of caution:

• A couple of quirky questions won’t provide an in-depth psycho-analysis of a candidate
• For the most part, there’s no real right or wrong answer—the key is seeing how the person thinks
• Carefully consider the tone of the interview, the individual’s demeanor and the position for which the candidate is being interviewed before dropping something in from left field
• Some candidates may view the questions as insulting
• Remember that the questions you ask will leave a lasting impression of both you as an interviewer and your organization in the candidate’s mind (a potential employee), and could be a determining factor as to whether they’ll accept the job or not

All that said, now to the fun part. Aside from the Google and Microsoft interview questions, here are some other bizarre ones I came across–use them at your own discretion during your interviews:

• If you could be a super hero, what power would you like to have? (My answer: Constant caffeination—never needing sleep with no ill effects.)
• How much is spent on haircuts in the U.S. each year?
• What did you do last night?
• What’s your favorite cereal?
• What was the last book you read?
• If you were a fruit, what kind would you be?
• What actor would play you in a movie about your life?
• If you were given $1 million that you had to donate anonymously, who would be your recipient?
• If you could take a trip anywhere for 30 days with money not being a consideration, where would you go and what would you do?
• What’s in your refrigerator right now?
• Do you enjoy using excessive amounts of bullet points in your blog posts? (OK, I made that one up after realizing the bulleted overkill here)

What about you? Do quirky questions have a place in the interview process? Have you ever asked one during an interview? What was it, and how did the candidate respond? Dare to answer any of the questions above?